How I’ve Stayed Autoimmune Flare-Free for 12 Years and Counting

Originally posted February 7, 2023

I'm extra grateful today as I write this post. Twelve years ago, my hellish year-long Ulcerative Colitis "flare of all flares" was finally wrapping up, and my journey toward natural healing—and learning how to stay healed—was just beginning. Here I am all these years later, having not had a single flare since, and having not been on any related medications for UC in 11 years.

Autoimmune diseases are labeled as chronic and incurable, meaning while remission may occur for a time, it is fully expected that the condition will flare up repeatedly. What this past 12 years has taught me is that maybe curing the incurable is not such a far-fetched idea when the right tools are in place, along with a deep commitment and intense passion for healing the way nature intended.

Making it all this time flare-free is truly a gift, as well as the result of lots of hard work, lots of trial and error, and lots of persistence. When it comes to things I credit, it's a long list, as over all these years I've had plenty of time to educate myself extensively and apply what I've learned through personal experience. 

And so in celebration of this 12-year flare-free anniversary, here are 12 of the many things that have greatly contributed to my healing and staying healed.

1. NOURISHING NUTRITION - Nutrition has to be #1. I believe what we put into our bodies is THE most important, most essential part of healing and staying healed. As Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." For me, adopting a diet of mostly real, whole, nutrient-dense, organic foods, avoiding gluten entirely and limiting dairy, and incorporating the power of herbs and spices, has made all the difference in the world. My diet was intentionally far more restrictive in the first couple years of my healing journey as I worked to heal my gut, but I now enjoy a wide variety of nourishing, nutrient-dense, healing foods every day. What I've found is that it's really fairly simple. Eating nurturing, nourishing, real foods = healing and health.
2. MOVEMENT - Moving my body on a regular basis, particularly through yoga and lots of walking, really helped me in the early post-flare years to regain my strength, confidence, and sense of self. Now I still do those two things regularly as well as hiking, bodyweight exercises, and some resistance weight training to keep myself strong and agile as I age. Exercise is vital for health as it can flush out toxins, strengthen the immune system, improve sleep which comes with endless benefits, and it can also improve mental health, among many other things. I am certain it’s contributed greatly to my healing and staying healed.

2. SLEEP - When I was recovering from my massive flare, I slept for about 10 hours a night for many months, and I know that this not only gave my body the required time to heal, but it helped me heal much faster than I would have otherwise. I continue to make sleep a huge priority as I understand how the body undergoes vital processes while we're fast asleep, including cleansing, regenerating, and defending us from inflammation, infections, and disease. I now adore my nighttime regimen of a sleep mask, white noise machine, earplugs, and blackout curtains – quality sleep is that important to me!

4. MY NATUROPATH - I am so grateful for my naturopath and her seemingly endless wisdom when it comes to natural medicine. I can't give her enough credit for all that she has done to get me and keep me on the right track. In our very first appointment many years ago when I was still pretty fresh out of my flare, she tested me for food sensitivities which identified multiple foods that I had been consuming regularly that were likely contributing to the inflammation in my body. She also tested me for vitamin and nutrient deficiencies that were holding my body back. These two things were imperative in allowing my body to have the support it needed to continue healing and staying healed.

5. THERAPY - I have been going to therapy ever since my massive flare-up. In the beginning it helped me recover from the trauma of the horrible flare experience itself, then it helped me start digging into all the other underlying issues that were already there and likely contributed to me getting sick in the first place. Now that I've been with the same therapist who I love for many years, our sessions are more of a sounding board situation where I can get things off my chest and hear her unbiased, wisdom-based advice and perspective. I truly feel most everyone should go to therapy if they can, especially Type-A, anxiety-prone folks like myself. I'm extremely fortunate that my therapist accepts my insurance, which makes regular sessions financially possible, so if you're searching for a therapist, it's a great idea to check with your insurance company first to get a list of providers that are in your network.

6. MEDITATION - Meditation is a tool that I've recently come to embrace, and I now know what I've been missing out on. This practice, even for just 10 minutes a day, has reduced my anxiety and stress levels, helped me have more mental clarity and mindfulness throughout the day, and helped me think more before reacting - something I've been working on for years! 
7. ‍VISUALIZATION - This is another mental health tool that has been very effective for my healing ever since my therapist introduced me to it years ago. A great example of how I use visualization is whenever I'm feeling health anxiety about something in my body, I close my eyes and visualize a healing light/energy coming in through the top of my head and slowly moving down through my whole body, healing, repairing, and restoring as it goes. This sounds incredibly simple but it has done wonders for my mental health, thus contributing to my physical health success. Visualization can be used in many ways for many different things. There are many free guided visualizations available on YouTube.

8. SIMPLICITY - Keeping my life as simple and uncomplicated as I reasonably can has been huge for my health. The less stuff I have, the less stuff I have to deal with. When it’s imperative to keep stress as low as possible, this is key. My family works hard to keep our amount of possessions at reasonable levels so that what we own doesn’t end up owning us. We also try very hard to keep our schedules from getting too full, leaving lots of time for rest, exercise, hobbies, and fun. Living in this counter-cultural way has greatly reduced the pressure and stress in my life and since reducing stress is incredibly important for both healing and staying healed from chronic disease, I am sure this has greatly helped to keep me well. Becoming Minimalist is a great resource to check out if you are interested in pursuing a simpler life.
9. MINDSET - Changing major things about our life is not easy, and if we don't have the right mindset, it's going to be even harder. First and foremost, we have to believe we can get better and heal—without that foundational belief, the rest becomes much more difficult. Even with that strong belief, there will be lots of trial and error, and some paths will be easier/harder than others, just like some days will be, so a mindset of perseverance, positive self-talk, and optimism are all essential. I'm a recovering pessimist when it comes to life in general, but when it comes to my healing and staying healed, I’m grateful to have consistently been a fervent optimist in believing that I will do whatever it takes to remain flare-free. Allowing myself to fall back into a mindset that leads to falling back into habits that will open the door to getting sick again is simply not an option. 
10. SUPPORT NETWORK - Getting support from family and friends, especially those who are like-minded or open-minded, is invaluable. This goes hand in hand with mindset, because when others believe in you, it's much easier to believe in yourself. Having openness and vulnerability with my family and trusted friends has given me the strength to stay the course many times. My husband in particular has given me his complete support and joined me on this journey from the get-go, and that has made a world of difference.

11. TIME IN NATURE - Spending time outdoors has played a big role in my healing, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Whether I'm walking through the woods, sitting by water, or just feeling the sun on my face, nature has an amazing way of grounding me and putting things into perspective. There's something so restorative about getting away from all the craziness of modern life and reconnecting with the natural world. As Hippocrates said, "Nature itself is the best physician," and I've found this to be so true. Though it’s not always easy, I try to spend quality time outside every day because I know it feeds my soul as much as it heals my body.

12. MY WHY - My "why" is the motivating factor behind the work I am doing, and it's always on my mind. My "why" is that I want to do whatever is in my power to prevent ever again being helplessly taken down by a terrible disease, and I want to be as healthy as I can be in order to live life to the fullest and give back as much as possible. Without it constantly reminding me to do my best to make good choices each and every day, it would be much harder to remain focused. I've found that when times get tough, returning to your why can be all the encouragement and motivation needed to press on.

There's so much more I could include on this list. I'd be remiss not to say again that, despite all of the work and all that I've learned and put into practice, there is still no way to describe being completely flare-free all these years after nearly dying from this disease, other than to say there is definitely a miracle to be found here. And for that I am eternally grateful. If it can happen for me, then I believe it can happen for you too.

I hope you find this list helpful as you travel your own path. 

Our bodies want to and know how to heal! Let's do whatever it takes to give them the support they need. It is so worth it.

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Disclaimer: This information represents the author's personal experience and is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The author is a certified nutrition coach, not a medical doctor. Autoimmune diseases require professional medical supervision. Do not discontinue medications without consulting your healthcare provider.  Individual results may vary significantly. If you're experiencing symptoms, consult a qualified healthcare provider.